Today In Brewer History: Living and dying by the long ball

On this day two years ago the Brewers opened the season with a bang as Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez led off the game and the year with back-to-back home runs off Edinson Volquez of the Reds. Ryan Braun later added another home run and the Brewers took a 6-3 lead into the ninth.

Unfortunately for the Brewers, the long ball theatrics were not yet over. John Axford allowed a single, walk and sac fly in the ninth to set the stage for a three-run, walkoff homer for Ramon Hernandez that gave the Reds a 7-6 victory.

Axford may have started the season 0-for-1 in save opportunities, but he would go on to finish it at 46-for-48 as the Brewers ran away with their first-ever NL Central championship. This game also featured Ron Roenicke's managerial debut.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• 1975-76 Brewer Tom Hausman, who turns 60.
• Menasha, Wisconsin native and 1964-65 Milwaukee Brave Dave Koslo, who would have turned 93.

Today is also the 15th anniversary of the Brewers' first National League game, a loss to the Braves in 1998. We covered that event in this space last year.